Topics on this page

• Aircraft and airport noise programs
• High-demand air traffic areas
• Aircraft noise levels and stages
• Noise reduction and research
• Noise exposure reduction
• Sound insulation programs

Aircraft and airport noise are complex issues that have been studied for decades and are still the focus of many research efforts today.

Aircraft and airport noise programs

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has developed a variety of programs aimed at increasing the understanding of noise impacts, identifying solutions to reduce those impacts, and educating the public on the issues and our ongoing efforts. Results of our research can be found on our Environment and Energy Research and Development web page.

The FAA works with the aviation community to control aircraft noise. Such measures include:

• noise reduction at the source (i.e., development and adoption of quieter aircraft)
• sound insulation
• buyouts of buildings near airports
• operational flight control measures
• land use planning strategies

While our primary mission is to ensure the safety and efficiency of our nation's navigable airspace, we do not have the authority to prohibit aircraft overflights of a particular geographic area unless the operation is unsafe, or the aircraft is operated in a manner inconsistent with Federal Aviation Regulations.

High-demand air traffic areas

In order to handle high air traffic demands, runway configurations are used in accordance with runway selection criteria that is based on several factors such as:

• runway availability
• wind
• weather
• operational efficiency
• noise considerations

We manage aircraft noise through international standards that are applied when an aircraft acquires its airworthiness certification. The standard requires that the aircraft meet or fall below designated noise levels.

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Aircraft noise levels and stages

For civil jet aircraft, there are four stages identified: Stage 1 is the loudest and Stage 4 is the quietest. The FAA is phasing out older, noisier civil aircraft, resulting in some stages of aircraft no longer being in the fleet. All civil jet aircraft, regardless of weight, must meet Stage 3 or Stage 4 to fly within the contiguous U.S.

For helicopters, two different stages exist: Stage 1 and Stage 2. As with civil jet aircraft, Stage 2 is quieter than Stage 1. The FAA will adopt the latest international standards for helicopters, called Stage 3, which is quieter than Stage 2.

See additional details on FAA Noise Levels, Stages and Prohibitions.

The Historic Record: Order of Magnitude Noise Exposure Reduction Despite Traffic Growth

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Noise reduction and research

The most promising research area is technology development to reduce source noise. The FAA established the Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions, and Noise (CLEEN) program to develop certifiable aircraft technology that reduces noise levels by 32 decibels (dB) cumulative, relative to the noise standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization. The program also focuses on maturing and demonstrating aircraft and alternative jet fuel technologies to accelerate commercialization of these technologies into current and future aircraft.

Noise exposure reduction

The number of people exposed to significant noise levels was reduced by approximately 90 percent between 1975 and 2000, partly as a result of a transition of airplane fleets to newer generation aircraft that produce less noise. Most of the gains from quieter aircraft were achieved by 2000.

Sound insulation programs

You can read an FAA fact sheet to learn more about noise reduction and sound insulation. For questions about FAA noise abatement studies and sound insulation programs, please contact the appropriate FAA Regional Offices for more information.

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